[TUTO] 3DS import/export and uv map tutorial

[keltos01]

Originally Posted by miner1436

Hey, I was wondering if you could tell me what your import/export settings in 3DS max are for SH4 models, when ever I export an existing model and try to re-import it back into S3D, it gives me .mtl errors.

Thanks:Miner

select you model, go to the modifier icon :




click on the pull down menu "modifier list" select "uv map"




in the settings choose "box", copy/paste the longest dimension in the other 2, so it make a cube.

go to modifier list again, click on "unwrap UVW"

1 click "edit" in the parameters box to the right :




then in the uv windows click (2) "select by element", do the same (3) in the "selection parameters" window. what this does it that it allows you to click on the model, it will select one of the elements of it in red, it will be selected as well in the uv window where you make your uv map. there you can click on a piece, right click : select either move or scale or rotate to place it right, then move to the next piece.

when your uv map looks good (see here above) go to the "file" menu of the iv window, save as uv !! make sure it has the exact same name as the .obj with -uv1 or -uv2 attached to the end.

I make one uv maps, save it as uv1, change channel (right column, in parameters : "map channel" ) to 2, it says are you sure blah blah changes made within the uv will be lost , click yes, usually at this point the texture map changes for something ugly, don't worry, go to the edit uv window, click "files", "load uv"

load uv1, save as -uv2 : now you have 2 identical uv maps with 2 different channels. I found that this way the model is imported correctly in S3D.




use the tools menu in the uv map window (top middle) to render uv template, (unclick seam edges) which you can save as a DDS.

open it in photoshop, use the magic wand, click somewhere not on the objects shapes -> it will select all the shapes.

copy/paste : you now have a layer on top of the background which has holes instead of the pieces, now it's just taking textures and pasting them between those layers ->once done and saved as a dds 3 use that texture on the model in 3DS.

in 3DS again :
right click the unwrap modifier, collapse all.




load texture and assign it to the selected model (it will then show textured in the lower right window):

click on the texture button (4color dots), click on "diffuse", a new window with a list open, click on "bitmap"







assign it to the selection :





select object, then go to the files menu, export selected, export as obj.

when you export the model, save as obj

I use these settings :
obj export :




mtl export (make sure to click source=scene material) :




hope this helps,

keltos